North's task gets bigger

WHENEVER you are drawn in World Cup group in which only the winners automatically qualify and then find Germany in that group you could be forgiven a large sigh. However, consolation could be sought from the fact that the runners up also have a chance of reaching it. Then you find Portugal are in the group. And then Ukraine.

Northern Ireland's chances of winning such a group were never strong, but after Saturday's sapping 1-0 defeat by Ukraine they are almost over.

Bryan Hamilton had thought that by arranging two home fixtures first his side might be able to establish a winning momentum, but the manager was left contemplating that Belfast on a sunny Saturday afternoon does not carry the same intimidation as a wet Wednesday night in November.

Atmosphere is a problem at Windsor Park and the tranquillity of the occasion appeared to spread to the Irish team, who played the opening 45 minutes at hangover pace.

Meanwhile, many miles away across Europe, Armenia were drawing 0-0 with Portugal, a result that suggests that when the Armenians come to Belfast next month, Hamilton's men could be struggling once again.

Conceivably Northern Ireland could have played two and lost two, which not only jettisons short term ambitions of reaching France, but would have serious long term implications. Like Wales, the Irish are placed in increasingly difficult qualifying groups coming out of the velvet bag fourth or fifth.

It is a downward spiral and hard to reverse. Confidence and enthusiasm are undermined and that has a knock on effect on the next generation. As the former Soviet republics raise their profiles, Northern Ireland's world ranking of 63 is put in jeopardy and the ultimate humiliation of turning into a San Marino edges closer.

That is why beating teams such as Armenia and Ukraine is imperative and lain Dowie, the English Irish captain, recognised that when he said: "Ukraine won't trouble anyone else in this World cup. They simply don't have what it takes to upset the better teams in Group Nine."

Dowie was a bit harsh as the Ukrainians, particularly the Dynamo Kiev striker, Fleck, impressed. Three times Leonenko was denied by the legs of Fettis, the Nottingham Forest reserve, a measure of the Ukrainians' attacking superiority. Yet "Northern Ireland could have won", the Ukrainian coach, Jozhef Sabo, said, and had Gillespie's chip gone in and not been headed away, that might have been the case.

That clearance was a task too far for Morrow to repeat after Rebrov's 80th minute header had slipped past Fettis. The home fans watched in silence, swallowed and left.